J O N K E R S R A R E B O O K S
P R E S E N T A T I O N C O P I E S & M A N U S C R I P T S
THE DEDICATION COPY
38. HUGHES, Ted WOLFWATCHING Faber, 1989. First edition. Original black boards in dustwrapper. The dedication copy, inscribed by the author to his aunt, Hilda Farrar, “For Hilda with love from Ted 18 August 1989”. Further inscribed on the dedication leaf, under the printed, “For Hilda”, “with love from Ted”. With a covering letter from Hughes to Hilda. A near fine copy in a near fine dustwrapper, with a touch of wear to the corners. [39099] £2,250 Ted Hughes grew up as part of a close and supportive family in Mytholmroyd. His mother, Ed- ith’s, large family all lived near by, with her sister Hilda only a few doors down from the Hughes family home on Aspinall Street. “Crossley [a childhood friend] remembers Ted’s very close relationship with his aunt Hilda, which endured throughout Hughes’s life; in the aftermath of Sylvia Plath’s suicide in 1963, Hilda played a key role supporting Hughes in looking after his children Nicholas and Frieda, and be- came a frequent visitor to Ted and his second wife Carol at their Devon home. This closeness is further demonstrated by the fact that when Hughes visited the Upper Calder Valley in adulthood, he would usually stay with Hilda... almost a ‘second mother’ to him.” - Steve Ely (Ted Hughes’s South Yorkshire) Wolfwatching contains a number of poems relating to family members. The poignant Sacrifice relates to his uncle Albert’s struggles in life. For The Duration pieces together his father’s part in WW1 and Walt relates to his uncle Walter. In the letter, Ted comments, “Here’s our book. I hope you’re not too shocked by the piece titled Sacrifice. My idea was to commemorate Albert’s frustrated existence, not Minnie’s [Albert’s wife]... I’ve been trying to ring Gerald [Ted’s brother] - no answer... That was a very satisfying, amusing evening we had. Think of coming down... and we will have one or two return matches... We’re going out with Carol’s sister + brother... supposedly belatedly a birthday party for me. Robert will probably show movie films - a very funny one of Nicky when he was about 12...”
describe the work as his masterpiece. Ted Hughes grew up as part of a close and supportive family in Mytholmroyd. His mother, Ed- ith’s, large family all lived near by, with her sister Hilda only a few doors down from the Hughes family home on Aspinall Street. “Crossley [a childhood friend] remembers Ted’s very close relationship with his aunt Hilda, which endured throughout Hughes’s life; in the aftermath of Sylvia Plath’s suicide in 1963, Hilda played a key role supporting Hughes in looking after his children Nicholas and Frieda, and be- came a frequent visitor to Ted and his second wife Carol at their Devon home. This closeness is further demonstrated by the fact that when Hughes visited the Upper Calder Valley in adulthood, he would usually stay with Hilda... almost a ‘second mother’ to him.” - Steve Ely (Ted Hughes’s South Yorkshire)
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